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Alcohol addiction is the condition where an individual cannot stay for long without drinking alcohol. In fact, consumption of the alcohol is normally a social activity which means that alcohol becomes addictive due to the influence of the groups where an individual belongs. Many people drink alcohol because either their coworkers, families or friends are drinking. So, it is that feeling of being the center of attention or trying to associate with a particular group that causes the addiction (Miller, 2013). Therefore the more a person feeds on these feelings by drinking, the more tolerance level of addiction is increased. However, alcohol addiction has both positive and negative potential outcomes.
Pros of Alcohol Addiction
One of the positive potential outcomes of the consumption of the alcohol is that it protects against cardiovascular diseases such as intermittent claudication, heart attack and stroke, hematological diseases, atrial fibrillation, cardiomyopathy and peripheral arterial diseases. These diseases are very dangerous to the health of an individual and require necessary measures to be put in place to reduce further problems that may arise in the long run that puts the life of an individual at risk of death (Magnus, Sheppard, Peace and Carter, 2012). For instance, consumption of moderate alcohol is believed to reduce the risk of Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) in apparently healthy men. In that regard, it is recommended that men should take a maximum of 2-3 glasses of wine or beer in a day for men, while women should take 1-2 glasses per day.
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Similarly, consumption of alcohol act as a basis for relieving stress. It is believed that alcohol when taken it gets into the bloodstream and when it reaches the brain of a person, it changes the normal function and development of the brain. This acts a stress reliever and allows the person to feel free and relaxed (Magnus et al, 2012). Alternatively, consumption of alcohol acts a source of employment in catering, production, retail products and services in which alcohol plays a major role in.
Cons of Alcohol Addiction
Excessive use of alcohol increases the number of diseases which are likely to cause death. Such diseases include cancer of the mouth, throat, hypertension and heart problems and infection of the liver. This is because too much of alcohol in the bloodstream may lead to blockage of the main blood veins and arteries thus narrowing them and as a result, increases hypertension (Salomaa, 2014).
Another potential negative outcome of alcohol addiction is that it leads to violence. Most alcoholics are very aggressive, and this leads to violence both in the street and domestic. In regards to violence, rampant cases of suicides that are frequently reported are therefore associated with excessive use of the alcohols (Paschall, and Lipperman-Kreda, 2013).
Similarly, alcohol addiction amongst the pregnant women causes their baby to develop fetal alcohol syndrome. This is a pattern of impairment of mental development and physical abnormalities which is seen with increasing frequency among children with alcoholic mothers (Uzbay, 2008). The negative consequence of pregnant mothers who are alcohol addiction is that children born surfers server abnormalities such as fissures, abnormal eyes, and incomplete cerebella.
Finally, alcohol addiction makes people more irresponsible. For instance, a family where both couples are alcohol addicted are like to get pregnant mostly in situations where they are unable to care for the child. In other words, more children are given birth to with less effort put by the parents when it comes to taking care of them which leads to children suffering (Paschall, and Lipperman-Kreda, 2013).
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- Uzbay, I. T. (2008). Serotonergic anti-depressants and ethanol withdrawal syndrome: A review. Alcohol and Alcoholism, 43(1)
- Miller, N. S. (2013). Introduction to the Pharmacological Effects of Alcohol and Drugs and Addiction on the Brain and Behavior. The Pharmacology of Alcohol and Drugs of Abuse and Addiction, 1-8.
- Paschall, M. J., & Lipperman-Kreda, S. (2013). Effects of the local alcohol environment on adolescents drinking behaviors and beliefs. Addiction, 109(3), 407-416.
- Salomaa, J. (2014). The costs of the detrimental effects of alcohol abuse have grown faster than alcohol consumption in Finland. Addiction, 90(4), 525-537.